2014 NFL Draft Close-Up: Notre Dame Defensive Lineman Stephon Tuitt

Stephon Tuitt’s size, speed and consequent versatility made him one of the most impactful defensive linemen in college football. He is seen as a first- or second-round NFL draft choice because of it. (USA Today Sports Images)

In the coming weeks and months leading up to the 2014 NFL draft, NEPatriotsDraft.com will profile college prospects that potentially fit the needs and draft seating of the New England Patriots. In this sixth installment, we will take a closer look at the film behind Notre Dame defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt.

Size. Strength. Speed. Versatility.

As a defensive lineman and tight end at Monroe Area High School in Monroe, Ga., Stephon Tuitt brought all four traits to the table. And after the football program went 0-20 during his sophomore and junior campaigns, his traits helped lead a turnaround.

Tuitt and the Hurricanes went 11-2 in 2010, forging it into the third round of the Georgia Class AAA state playoffs. In the process, Tuitt forged into the recruiting picture.

He found himself ranked the 38th overall prospect in the nation by Sports Illustrated and 22nd by Rivals.com. He found himself competing in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, as well as the Team USA vs. The World All-Star Game in Austin.

Shortly thereafter, he found himself in South Bend, Ind., as member of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Tuitt enrolled at Notre Dame in the fall of 2011, and it his presence was felt almost immediately. He played in nine games as a freshman, starting three, while compiling 30 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks and one deflection. He earned third-team Freshman All-America honors from Phil Steele, in result.

He took the next step in 2012, starting all 13 games to tally 47 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, a team-high 12 sacks – second in school history – along with three forced fumbles, a 77-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown, one pass deflection and a blocked kick. In turn, he garnered first-team All-American accolades from Sports Illustrated, ESPN.com and CBS Sports, as the Irish went 12-0, prior to the BCS title game in January.

The season didn’t end on a positive note; and for Tuitt, the pain continued into the offseason. He underwent hernia surgery, but its lingering effects carried over into his junior year season. Though those effects left him behind the curve, heavy-legged and less dominant, they didn’t keep the 20-year-old from being a hazard for offenses.

By the time it was all over, Tuitt had started all 13 games to record 49 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, one interception returned for a score, two pass deflections and a forced fumble. He was a first-team All-Independent pick. He was also tied for third in Notre Dame history with 21.5 career sacks.

He would remain tied for third, however. After taking a trip back home to discuss his future with his mother, Tuitt announced on Jan. 5 that he would forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft.

His momentum has taken a hit since then, as a scan at the NFL Scouting Combine revealed a Jones fracture in his left foot. That small fracture kept him off the field during on-field workouts in front of potential employers. But as a 6’5”, 304-pounder with 34 1/4-inch arms, 10-inch hands and the upper-body strength that translates in 31 bench reps of 225 pounds, injury won’t take Tuitt off many boards come May.

One of the boards Tuitt figures to be on is the New England Patriots’. As a run-stuffer and pass-rusher built to line up anywhere from the seven-technique to the nose, Tuitt fits the bill for most defensive fronts. And while it remains to be seen if he fits the plans of head coach Bill Belichick in the first- or second-round range, what has been seen is his game film.

When you watch Tuitt in run defense, you may be underwhelmed by his burst off the snap and his lack of consistency shooting into gaps. But if you’re underwhelmed by those facets, you might be looking in the wrong place.

Tuitt isn’t the aggressive, over-pursuer that prevalently sacrifices gap integrity to deliver a hit in the backfield. Instead, he’s patient; he knows the responsibilities of a given assignment; he stays parallel to the line of scrimmage and keeps the play in front of him.

He stays at home more often than not, trusting his eyes to make correct decisions in run defense. And this is evident when defending the read-option. In this case, he understands how to sit on the play, bending his knees, dropping his arms and pacing his feet. He watches the football and only begins to chase once he identifies the exchange of possession.

With broad shoulders and the height to play across the line, Tuitt looks the part of an imposing run-stopper. He is a gifted athlete; however, he lacks the flexibility and suddenness to immediately change direction against well-braced offensive tackles. This makes him more of a five-technique or a three-technique at the next level.

When he’s combated by combo-blocks, there are concerns about his solidity. Inline tight ends can surprise him with lower pad level, taking him out of his comfort zone as well as the play. Double-teams also can eat him up, particularly in play-side run defense. But there are also times when the initial punch of the lineman knocks him down and unable to recover. And furthermore, when he is able to permeate the backfield on a handoff, he can leave himself susceptible to the halfback cutback, playing one step behind the runner and occasionally diving to no avail.

That said, Tuitt can stack and shred. And when he is asked to set the edge, he knows how to hold his ground, bind the tackle box, and delay the development of the run.

This was evidenced versus USC on Oct. 19.

On a 1st-and-15 early in the third quarter, the Trojans offense assembled in “11” personnel for a handoff to 5’10”, 212-pound halfback Silas Redd. The play would test Notre Dame’s 3-3 nickel defense in terms of pursuit and gap maintenance, as the zone-blocking scheme would lead leftward and send three linemen up to the second level.

Tuitt stood in stop it from five-technique right end, directly over 6’7”, 275-pound left tackle Chad Wheeler.

As quarterback Cody Kessler handled the snap and angled back towards Redd, the combination blocks got underway. Nix was temporarily doubled by the center and right guard to neutralize the interior, while the left guard and right tackle grazed past the defensive ends on their way to linebacker territory.

Tuitt would have to control the play side. He bent his knees into the block and extended his left arm around Wheeler’s inside shoulder while driving into contact.

Redd received the exchange and made his way towards the B- and C-gaps. But there, disrupting the lanes was Tuitt. He had established leverage and the inside track towards the ball-carrier, gripping his hands underneath the left tackle’s arms and pressing through.

As Redd made his pivot back inside towards the B-gap, Tuitt timed the release of his press.

It caught Wheeler on the tips of his toes.

And it caught Redd off guard.

Tuitt pounced back in front of the run, regaining balance by pushing off the tackle with one arm and casting around the running back with the other.

Tuitt latched on and didn’t relinquish, even as his feet grew distant from his upper body.

Tuitt swung his right arm around Redd’s back, and that propellant brought the back to the ground in one swift motion.

It went for a gain of two, but it also it also exemplified his ability to occupy open space and dictate the course of the run.

Tuitt takes proper angles and finishes plays off by getting the most out of his wingspan. And that unheralded athleticism goes a long way towards accelerating defensive adjustments.

Not a Prototypical Edge-Bender, But a Powerful Clean-Up Pass-Rusher

Tuitt moves well for a man of his size. But his lateral agility can also get him out of control. His strong arcs around bookends can result slips on occasion. He can also be mirrored in pass rush when he doesn’t provide a counter move to free himself. And when he tries to spin back between two blocks, he can be stifled by a side punch when his back arches.

All things considered, though, those parts are not the sum of Tuitt’s game. He isn’t 6’5”, 260-pound stand-up edge defender; he’s over 40 pounds heavier.

Tuitt thrives in pushing the pocket and cleaning up what’s left. He can bench blockers and rip or swim move out on his way into the backfield. He showcases an impressive side step, which can expand and slice the offensive line in response. From there, he can flush the quarterback outside the hashes, shift to cover tailback screen, or read the quarterback’s eyes and bat down passes.

Now there are times when he overextends with his heavy and violent hands, sending him stumbling onto the turf. There are times when he vacates the line, affording the QB a runway to scramble through. There are times when he plays high out of the gate – perhaps a drawback of his length and stamina – failing to sink his hips and giving up leverage at the point of attack.

He’s not without flaws as a pass-rusher, but Tuitt has the skill to overcome them. When he maintains lean through the turn, he can regain stability after cut blocks nearly serve as spike strips. He displays active movement in his arms to replace the hands of the blocker as he circles around the C-gap. And as he sets his sights on the QB, he has the downhill fluidity to close in.

Tuitt did just that against Arizona State on Oct. 5.

The Sun Devils offense lined up in a four-wide, one-back spread with 6’2”, 201-pound quarterback Taylor Kelly in shotgun. His receivers on the far hash were prepped for inside-releasing go and drag patterns, respectively; his receivers on the near hash were prepped for outside-releasing go and deep cross patterns, respectively.

And concurrently, Notre Dame countered with 3-2 dime package. Within it, Tuitt played essentially a seven-technique – shading the right tackle – albeit on a three-man line.

As Kelly took the snap and dropped back to go through his progressions, all but three defenders dropped back into coverage.

Tuitt was one of the remainders. He was veering outside the C-gap, luring 6’5”, 289-pound right tackle Tyler Sulka along with him.

Kelly evened his stance and waited for his receivers to separate. But quickly separating off the right side of the line was Tuitt. He had swerved one foot over the other and dipped his inside shoulder, manipulating his opponent into bending at the waist to regain positioning.

With clean hand movement, Tuitt drew Sulka head over heels. In doing so, he had cleared up a straightaway between himself and the quarterback.

He enclosed rapidly, raising his arms to strike as Kelly pulled his arm back to throw.

He did. And in the aftermath, the ball was jarred loose.

Sulka pick up the fumble, shortly after conceding the sack.

Tuitt’s production is not merely a byproduct of playing alongside touted nose tackle Louis Nix III and outside linebacker Prince Shembo. His production is a byproduct of his own performance.

His prolific sack totals have their place.

Outlook

When it comes to size, strength, deceptive quickness and interchangeability, Tuitt is one of the most promising defensive linemen in the 2014 class. He’s two years younger than most draft prospects. And due to that that room for growth, there is a belief that his best days are ahead of him.

Although there are questions about his injury history, his conditioning coming back from injury, and his subsequent descent after a prevailing 2012 season, positives outweigh negatives when it comes to Tuitt. He is scheme-adaptable for a hybrid defense, lining up as both a one- and two-gapper. He presents worthwhile value in the top-50 draft range as a result.

He’s a cerebral football player who owns his responsibilities in run defense and pass rush. There may be better plug-and-play alternatives, but Tuitt has proven to be a dynamic force that can alter a game, inside and out.

Well, Crap! We just whiffed on Pollard for a second year. Dude is a dirt-cheap big hitter with decent coverage skills and leadership ability. How can the Pats’ front office not see the same thing. This signing would have represented one of the better values in free agency, assuming of course he resigned a a price similar to the 1.3 M he earned last season.

Wilfork will be 33 yo next season, trying to come back from a very serious injury, especially for big DL-men like him. The decision the Pats need to make is difficult but at the same time also an obvious one, imo. If they were to rework his contract, it should be done with the sole purpose of parting ways in a more respectful way with a team captain, not because they hope/think he could be the same player again.

Every time I think of Tuitt, I think of Aaron Lynch, LOL. Lynch was a better prospect, was ranked higher coming out of HS, and made 1st team all freshman, while Tuitt was 3rd team. Imagine ND last few yrs with Tuitt, Nix, Lynch…..to bad he left, and could not get back to where he was in ND. Anyways…..Tuitt is my guy, and I think you all know that now. He lost over 30pds and is now back to where he was a Soph. Tuitt was forced to play more inside than he normal did. ND lost some DL talent either by injury or de-commits(Eddie Vanderdoes for one). Tuitt has the ability to play inside and DE, which makes him a 3 player in my book. When was the last time NE could move their DE inside and bring in more speed from the edge? Richard Sey, maybe? BB loves versatile players, and he is also friends with Brian Kelly, and has been to ND for practice. It is hard to get a young, 6’6 310 DT/DE with the skill set of Tuitt. He might have made it to NE before the injury, maybe now he will land there. So my mock.

I did this based off that we signed Talib. If that is the case, I am not sure we go after a CB in this draft. We could have Dennard, Ryan, Arrington, Talib locked up for a few yrs. I mean where would we play him? He would have to be someone who came in and started from day 1. One spot I would change would be for a SS in the 3rd, if I thought one would be around. I think BB address that in FA, and I think Ward can be that guy. I think in this draft we try to get younger on the DL, DE, TE, WR spots. But hey, who am I…LOL

Tuitt’s size and versatility are something the Pats do value but I think if they went DL early that Ra’Shede Hageman would have more potential. If they want more athletic pass rushing DE then they should go for Kony Ealy or Scott Crichton early. A middle round guy that could bring a similar pass rush would be Kareem Martin.

I’m still hoping Aaron Donald drops because he is a hard nosed relentless D lineman that would really help collapse the pocket and make QB’s uncomfortable in the pocket.

Not sold on Hageman. He just got beat up to many times and was destroyed by the double team. He just did not impress me at all. Reports are he would disappear in the late 3rd and 4th quarters cause he was to tired or did not care about the game anymore.

I think the fact that he had a down year stat wise because of a slow recovery from off season hernia surgery as well as not being able to work out during the combine will push him down draft boards to the patriots. If he is available at pick #29 I think they should absolutely take him. He is 6’6 310 and has the versatility to play DE OR DT in the 4-3 as well as DE in a 3-4. He is very scheme versatile, is a big bodied athletic freak that the patriots have been looking for, for the past 3 to 4 years. In a pass happy league he would give much needed rest to ninkovich and jones when the team plays in the base 4-3. He also offers pass rush from inside with the ability to get his long arms up in passing lanes a la JJ Watt. Lets go Bill. GO get Tuitt!

I am far from a draftnik but this scenario seems more realistic than Donald being available at 29. If the team can pick up some D line help in FA, a high upside CB would be a nice addition. BB has swung and missed on his DB picks more than he would have liked but it is too valuable, and costly, of a position to ignore. What’s not to like about Talib as a player; dude just can’t stay on the field.

good mocks but not perfect, imo. The problem I have with the first one is the choice of players in the top 2 rounds. Donald and Jackson are very, very good players in their own right, just not very good fits with the Pats, imo. i think, at this point, Donald would be a better fit as a RDE in a 3-4 defense in the NFl (a smaller Sheldon Richardson) than a Dt in the interior of a 4-3 D. Maybe he could work playing next to an oversized NT like Wilfork but I think VW’s days in the NFL are numbered. Either way, not the type of DT I can see the Pats go for.
Jackson is not that great in pass protection or zone blocking and that makes him an unlikely selection for the Pats too, I think, due to lack of scheme flexibility on his part. And they have a similar player in Canon already, who could pitch in inside should they need a road grader at RG.

Beyond that, I can easily live with the rest even if I think a 4th rounder, albeit a late one, is a bit too rich for Archer, who I honestly don’t see to as a player to be targeted by the Pats, in general.

Have two main issues with the 2nd mock – biggest one is it’s way too heavily focused on offensive players and not enough attention goes to the D with 2 out of the 3 D players being late-round, developmental talent (Kerr and Dixon) i.e. not immediate diff makers, if ever at all.
Other than that, I very much like the players on O you have there in Niklas, Richburg, Bryant, Gallon … it’s just that I don’t see this as a well balanced mock.
Of course this may or may not be a problem depending on who they get in free agency but still …

My 2nd problem is with Verett in the 1st. Love the player, just not the value for a nickel CB in the NFL. I would love to get Verett at some point in the 2nd at most (realizing that he may well be gone by then) as a replacement for Arrington.
Verett would be at least as good in the slot and a big upgrade as a back up on the outside over KA. The reason why I don’t rate as a 1st rounder is that I don’t see him as a starter on the outside due to his size.
Whether the Pats bring back Talib or not, they would need a top prospect with better size than verett at the CB position, imo either to replace Talib or play opposite to him (and provide size in the secondary for when Talib is injured, which is virtually bound to happen, especially in next-year’s AFC title game).
This problem could be fixed by taking a bigger CB with one of the subsequent picks but even then I think a 1st rounder may be a bit too much for a slot CB.

Lastly, a small-ish issue I have with both mocks in taking JC Copeland. I think he would have a pretty limited role in the NFL at his current weight – mostly reduced to playing a wrecking ball and limited in the passing game. He tested like a DT at the combine even at his reduced weight of 270 lbs. I would think he should drop at least 10 lbs to become more scheme-flexible but then I am not sure how effective he would be altogether. If a FB is to be taken there, I think Trey Millard would be player that would make more sense for the NFL game and I doubt BB would be willing to give a roster spot to a Fb who’s only role on the team would be limited to that of a wrecking ball.
Still, considering this is a late 6th pick, it’s more nitpicking on my part than anything else.

I appreciate your opinion, but you under value a few players that could really help us. I was the 1st to talk about Trey Millard if you remember but he’s injured and we must look at his pro day. The reason I like JC Copeland is for a few reasons 1. Pass protection 2.run blocking( a devastating one at that.)3. We can line him up as single back, a pass catcher, and screens etc. This guy could be a serious weapon, it’s all how you look at and what he can do for us, having a functional FB part of the offense would be good for our run game and set the tone because DBs and LBs don’t want to go head to head with this guy in space. I paired Archer with Copeland, a big with a small. ACM, why did we sign WR/KR Reggie Dunn to future contract? Last year we bought in L.Washington and lost one our best guys in Danny Woodhead,we need a player that could fill that void ( Archer!)

Regrading Copeland, those clips you are watching on him are at the college level, often vs some pretty suspect opposition. At the NFL level the game is faster and a guy that runs almost a 5.00 at 270 lbs isn’t likely to be a factor in the passing game, quite possibly even in the running the ball too. That’s what most likely makes him a one-dim player at the next level.

regarding Archer and Dunn – Dunn is a WR and has pretty good size for the NFL in that role, very much like players like TY Hilton and Emannuel Sanders, Troy Brown etc to name a few. Dri Archer is a RB and is significantly smaller than even Dunn, which would have been sort of al right if he was a polished WR, but not for a RB in the NFL. And here comes the biggest difference – Dunn was signed as a UDFA and didn’t cost the Pats a thing; Archer would likely cost them a pick and in your estimation a 4th round pick at that. All in all, the Pats sign players like Dunn so that they don’t have to pay to sign players like Archer. Having Dunn on the pre-season roster as UDFA is doesn’t support the argument that they may want Archer, if anything it’s exactly the opposite – they already have a fast, twitchy player for free i.e. no room for Archer.

I am aware that millard is injured and that’s what makes him such a great value in the late rounds. He should be close to being ready by July, I’d think, but even if they have to red-shirt him for his rookie year, that’s like a having a very good value pick next year and they already have Develin under contract for 2014 anyway.

I wonder if , when it’s all said and done if a guy like Tuitt is enough of a difference maker in today’s NFL, that he’d be a lot better that a 2nd rd guy like Daquan Jones, or a even a later guy like aBrent Urban. Just wondering if his position is becoming more and more secondary, and edge rushers and blitzing LB are the key guys along the front 7

I think the benefit of a guy like Tuitt, if he really does have the positional and run/pass versatility as advertised, is that he can allow you to change formation with the same personnel, doesn’t need a sub if the opposing team goes hurry-up, can free up your linebackers with his run defense, and also provide some pass-rush on play-action. Versatility allows you to be more creative defensively, find favorable matchups, defend the pass/run even if you gear up for the opposite type of play, and stay strong when opposing offenses go to hurry-up. Those later guys may do one thing as well as Tuitt, but if you guess the opposition’s play wrong or if they go too fast for you to sub, those guys can be easily neutralized with a good gameplan. Again, this assumes that Tuitt really can do it all as advertised.
For example, let’s say you have a a 2012 Wilfork and a Tuitt that is achieving his ceiling as your DTs. On first down, you’re solid against the run, so you can more easily add a DB instead of a linebacker or say blitz Collins. Now let’s say they drop back to pass – Wilfork and Tuitt offer some pass rush that your later round run-stuffers can’t give you, so maybe a RB needs to stay in to help with pressure or one of your DEs gets single coverage on the outside. Tuitt would also give you the ability to change between 3-4 and 4-3 without putting players in unnatural postitions(Ninkovich to 3-4 OLB, Jones to 3-4 DE, Tuitt from 4-3 DT to 3-4 DE).
Tuitt also does seem to have upside as a passrusher, and the size to get his arms up and deflect passes, so it’s not as though he’s a jack of all trades and master of none.

Really? I thought that was last year… didn’t see it on a google search. If so, take a different free agent or draft a tight end in the 4th and bring in a free agent to compete at linebacker… maybe Desmond Bishop?